Procreate stores every painting, layer, and time-lapse inside the app, so a few large canvases can quietly eat tens of gigabytes. The fastest wins are flattening finished pieces, exporting and deleting old work, and turning off time-lapse recording for sketches. To check the app's footprint, open Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage > Procreate.

TL;DR

  • High-resolution canvases with many layers are the main cause of huge Procreate files.
  • Recorded time-lapses can be larger than the artwork itself; disable them for rough work.
  • Export finished pieces as flattened PNG/JPEG to Files or Photos, then delete the heavy .procreate source.
  • Flatten or merge layers on completed art to shrink the working file.
  • iOS can offload the app, but that keeps your gallery; only deleting documents reclaims real space.

What is actually taking up the space?

A single .procreate file keeps full-resolution data for every layer plus an embedded time-lapse video. A 4K canvas with 30 layers can easily exceed 1 GB. To see the breakdown, open the artwork, tap the wrench (Actions) > Canvas > Canvas information for dimensions and layer limits. Bigger canvas + more layers = bigger file.

How do I export artwork before deleting it?

Never delete a .procreate file without saving a copy first. In the Gallery, swipe left on a piece (or use the menu) and choose Share, then export as PNG (lossless) or JPEG (smaller). Save to Files (iCloud Drive or On My iPad) or Photos. Once the export is confirmed, you can safely remove the original.

How do I flatten or merge layers to shrink a file?

For finished work you no longer need to edit layer-by-layer, pinch two layers together in the Layers panel to merge them, or use Layers > Flatten to combine everything into one. Fewer layers means a dramatically smaller file. Duplicate the piece first if you want to keep an editable version stored elsewhere.

How do I stop time-lapse from bloating files?

Time-lapse recording captures your whole process and is stored inside each file. Turn it off for sketches via Actions (wrench) > Video > toggle off Time-lapse recording in Procreate Settings. For existing pieces, export the time-lapse you want to keep, then it stays embedded only where you need it.

How do I delete old Procreate files safely?

In the Gallery, swipe left on a stack or piece and tap Delete, or select multiple via Select and delete in bulk. This is permanent and bypasses the Photos Recently Deleted album, so confirm your exports landed first. Also clear your Files > Recently Deleted if you exported there and removed copies.

What iOS does natively, and where it stops

iOS offers Offload App under Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage > Procreate, which removes the app binary but keeps all your documents and gallery. That reclaims only the install size, not your artwork. To recover the gigabytes your paintings occupy, you must export and delete inside Procreate. iOS will not reach into the app and prune large canvases for you. For finding other heavy files across the system, see iPhone storage full but nothing to delete.

What this cannot do

Clearing space in Procreate means deleting your source files, not a disposable cache. There is no "safe cache" to wipe here, the file is the art. Back up to iCloud Drive, an external drive, or a computer before deleting anything. If you also export time-lapses as video, those land in Photos and add up, much like other exported edits and drafts.

FAQ

Does deleting the Procreate app delete my artwork?

Yes. Unlike offloading, fully deleting Procreate removes the app and every painting stored locally. Export your work to Files or Photos, or confirm an iCloud/iTunes backup, before you uninstall it.

Will lowering canvas resolution reduce an existing file's size?

No, you cannot shrink an existing canvas's resolution. The size is set at creation. To get a smaller working file, flatten layers and disable time-lapse, or start a new lower-resolution canvas and import a flattened image.

Where do exported Procreate images go?

Wherever you choose in the Share sheet. PNG/JPEG can save to Photos or to Files (iCloud Drive or On My iPad). Procreate time-lapse videos and PDFs typically save to Files or your chosen app.

For a guided way to find what's eating your storage and clear it without touching your art, try Cleanor for iPhone and our free up iPhone space walkthrough.